Relaxing While on Vacation

Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises

We all go on vacations to relax and unwind, right? But when you’re on vacation, do you really relax and unwind? Or are you still thumbing through your phone, texting your friends, answering emails, posting on social media, and Snapchatting your friends back home? Yeah, I thought so.

Believe me, being a blogger and having pretty much my entire business online, it’s very hard to disconnect and relax on vacation. Sometimes, I feel that when I’m on vacation, I’m more stressed than ever. I’m not in my element – I’m not sitting in front of my computer having everything at my disposal. I can’t answer emails as quickly when I’m on vacation and that stresses me out hardcore. I can’t reply to comments on the blog, I can’t keep up with tweets, and I always feel like I’m playing catch up.

And then I hopped on board the Regal Princess last month (how has it already been a month since I’ve been on the cruise?!) and reality smacked me in the face and it was a good smack!

I know I saw this every single time after I get back from vacation but it’s really good to unwind. We didn’t have much wifi on the ship because we weren’t connected at all times due to freeing up the bandwidth for other guests. On the islands during our excursions, we obviously didn’t have cell phone service. In the beginning, it stressed me out and I was having some major FOMO but then I’m like, “dude, I’M on vacation while everyone else back home is WORKING. I need to live this up.” Being on this cruise and having limited connectivity really showed me how immersed we are with technology and how naked you feel without it, but it’s also very liberating. I feel chained to my phone many days. While on this cruise, I fell into a routine where I only checked email once a day and blog comments once a day and yeah, sure, it took like maybe a good 90 minutes after I showered at night to get through everything but it wasn’t consuming me all day. I was actually able to relax on vacation.

Helloooo! That’s the main theme here. Relaxing while on vacation. Why spend $$$$ to just sit on your phone like you do back home? Why spend $$$$ to work away from home? You see where I’m getting at? There are SO many things you can do while on a vacation to really truly relax and unwind. Let me help you :)

 

1. Read for pleasure!

You’re so caught up in every day life that you forget what it’s like to read for pleasure. Am I right? Take advantage while on vacation! Download all the books you want to read on your e-reader and immerse yourself in the books. Get lost in the character’s world and forget about reality for a bit. Let me tell you, reading was such a relaxing thing I did on the cruise. I mean, I have more time than regular people I think to read on a daily basis, but to be able to just sit on a comfy lounger in a private area on the ship (which, if you’re ever on a Princess Cruises ship, do yourself a favor and book yourself time at The Sanctuary – best thing ever. It’s SO quiet and relaxing.) and not staring at my phone was super chill. Highly recommend!

The Sanctuary was bliss. I could’ve stayed in here all day.

 

2. Treat yourself.

Spa treatments are expensive, yes, but how often do you really get to do it? Really. Think about it. How often do you get to leave the house and forget all your troubles for 90 minutes? Oh and when do you get an OCEAN right in front of you? Probably rare, right? Unless you’re a billionaire and I don’t know it. But you see where I’m going with this? You can always make back the money but you can’t always get back that time to relax. Once that chance is gone, it’s gone. Take advantage and treat yourself to a spa day!

 

Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises

There were various ways for me to treat myself on the Regal Princess and The Enclave was just one of the places. It’s a special place on the ship in the Lotus Spa where you can take advantage of fully treating yourself to an ultimate day of relaxation. The Enclave is, “the central feature of Princess’ largest-ever thermal suite is the dramatic hydro-therapy pool to help rejuvenate the mind and body with a cascading rain shower and therapeutic air jets in various locations around the pool. Passengers can also choose to relax on heated stone beds or soothing water beds, plus enjoy steam and sauna options using different temperatures, humidity zones, and aroma infusions to offer a sense of rejuvenation. New features include:

• The Hammam – A Turkish-style steam bath to enhance well-being, the Hammam’s warm marble slab is a soothing addition to a massage and can be used with clay, mud or salt treatments.

• The Caldarium – A feature taken from Roman times, this warm, light steam ceramic chamber offers an infusion of herbal aromas. Walls, floors and seats are heated for a deep penetrating warmth that promotes relaxation.

• The Laconium – This warm, dry chamber gradually warms the body to help with purification and detoxification.

• Sensory Showers – Passengers can choose from four different experiences: Tropical Rain, Cold Mist, Rain Shower or Siberian Shower, which also include dynamic mood lighting and aromas to enrich the experience.”

I mean…seriously. You HAVE to do it.

Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises

This photo below is part of the room where I actually got my facial and body massage. HEAVENLY.

Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises

3. Entertainment is good for the soul.

If you happen to be somewhere that is known for lively entertainment (Vegas) or you know of a local band in town or if you’re on a cruise ship, find out what shows there are and go to them! I guarantee you’ll love them and it’ll make you laugh, cry, gasp. Just let it all out. Enjoy yourself. Entertainment is there for a reason. Grab a drink, go see a comedy show, something! When I was on the cruise, I went and saw the Princess Cruises’ live entertainment show, Fiera. It was SO good and a very well-thought out show. I’m so glad I went, even though I was exhausted after a day in the sun.

4. Drink.

Not like wasted drink but you know, casually drinking and taking it all in. Celebrate life. Celebrate being with the one you love. Celebrate being alone and being able to drink without a child tugging on the bottom of your shirt saying, “mom! mom! mom!”

 

 

 

5. Exercise

I don’t do this nearly enough on vacation but it’s a great release and it keeps you in shape! Definitely helps with all that food you end up eating ;)

Photo courtesy of Deborah

Photo courtesy of Dine and Dish

How do you relax on vacation? Got any more tips? Would love to hear your thoughts below!

This post is sponsored by Princess Cruises. Thank you for supporting the brands we love so we can continue to bring you more unique travel posts such as this!